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SUNDAY
In 1996, Velocity Girl, one of the area’s premier indie-pop bands, broke up on amicable terms. And for the past six years, group members have seen no reason to get back together for another try at the rock-star brass ring that eluded them in their heyday—until erstwhile ‘zine editor Don Smith proposed a benefit show for former lead singer Bridget Cross. Starting out at the University of Maryland in 1989, the combo helped put a Brit-inspired dreampop scene on the map, first with some guitar-buzz-dominated work for the Slumberland label, and then with three more polished albums as Sub Pop’s first post-Nirvana nongrunge act. Though their songwriting was never consistently memorable, and opera-trained Sarah Shannon’s vocals occasionally sounded more stiff than ethereal, the meld of instrumental jangle and cooing, hummable melodies on such cuts as Simpatico’s “Sorry Again” still hold up. Joining them will be Mark Robinson, a veteran of Unrest and Air Miami, both of which Cross also worked with. The benefit is intended to help reimburse Cross’ retired mother, who incurred substantial legal expenses in assisting her daughter with charges she faced in Alaska. Velocity Girl (two of whom are employed by the Washington City Paper) plays with Mark Robinson, (The Sounds of) Kaleidoscope, and DJ Breedlove 500+ at 8:30 p.m., Sunday, June 9, at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. $10. (202) 667-7960. (Steve Kiviat)